President Obama - Rebuilding Something Better

The following is an excerpt from the Washington Post written by President Barack Obama.


And this week, I'll be talking about how we give our workers the skills they need to compete for these jobs of the future. In an economy where jobs requiring at least an associate's degree are projected to grow twice as fast as jobs requiring no college experience, it's never been more essential to continue education and training after high school. That's why we've set a goal of leading the world in college degrees by 2020. Part of this goal will be met by helping Americans better afford a college education. But part of it will also be strengthening our network of community colleges.


We believe it's time to reform our community colleges so that they provide Americans of all ages a chance to learn the skills and knowledge necessary to compete for the jobs of the future. Our community colleges can serve as 21st-century job training centers, working with local businesses to help workers learn the skills they need to fill the jobs of the future. We can reallocate funding to help them modernize their facilities, increase the quality of online courses and ultimately meet the goal of graduating 5 million more Americans from community colleges by 2020.


Providing all Americans with the skills they need to compete is a pillar of a stronger economic foundation, and, like health care or energy, we cannot wait to make the necessary changes. We must continue to clean up the wreckage of this recession, but it is time to rebuild something better in its place. It won't be easy, and there will continue to be those who argue that we have to put off hard decisions that we have already deferred for far too long. But earlier generations of Americans didn't build this great country by fearing the future and shrinking our dreams. This generation has to show that same courage and determination. I believe we will.


Read the entire piece at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/11/AR2009071100647.html

Sweet Crude at Galway Film Fleadh

THE LEVEL of violence required by governments and resource exploitation companies to produce oil and gas is “unsustainable”, whether in north Mayo or the Niger Delta, a US film director has said.

In Galway yesterday, where a documentary she has made on the Niger delta was screened at the annual film fleadh, Sandy Cioffi said pressing issues such as climate change would never be resolved through such an approach. “There seems to be a common thread in so many situations where oil and gas companies do not want community involvement,” Ms Cioffi said.

Read more at The Irish Times: http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/0710/1224250387513.html